Saturday, March 19, 2016

A City Mural

Our new city has plenty of artwork to enjoy. Most prominent is the Essex Street Gateway Mural that encompasses the side of a building. This is not an easy thing to photograph, but you get the idea!

This 4 story landmark contains images of notables from the city of Haverhill, MA. Its theater concept is based on the building itself which was once a theater at the beginning of the 1900s.The person most people would know in the U.S. is Tom Bergeron, host of Dancing with the Stars and formerly of America's Funniest Home Videos. He is located in the middle image in the window.

The person I could pick out looking at the image was Rob Zombie, also born here. Those of you with a soft spot for heavy metal like me would know who he is. Clearly he is the second person in from the right on the balcony!

For you shoe lovers, that is Stuart Weitzman projected onto the movie screen. I had no idea he was connected to this city!

John Quincy Adams had presented the Haverhill Petition to Congress calling for dissolution of the Union in efforts to completely abolish slavery. He is represented in the top window.

In total there are 52 individuals represented!Most interesting to me are the objects important to the city such as Ulysses. This ship was built here in Haverhill in the late 1700s first use for merchants, then later an armed vessel that went to France (never made it back though). The chandelier in the artwork represents how the buildings downtown have been been re-purposed from old factories to modern residences and businesses.

The fish pictured near the top right below is the shortnose sturgeon. This fish is meaningful because is is an endangered species and one of the oldest existing that still comes to spawn each year in the river here.

Another fun fact if you ever read Archie comics growing up....that comic was originally set in this city since its creator Bob Montana lived here! The CW is releasing a new tv show called Riverdale based on the comic and its characters. The Riverdale school in this comic is now Haverhill Town Hall. I have a feeling the show will not be set in this city, but we will have to wait and see where they base it.

Shoes are shown because this city was a hub for shoe making back in the day. The overall architecture in this painting depicts the architectural elements of this city. Credit for this piece goes to MLS Studio of Phildephia, PA as well as the artists who executed the mural.Thank you for stopping by! Wishing you all a marvelous week ahead! ~Val

I just love this type of artwork! This one in particular with the stories it tells. It's a piece of history displayed in the most beautiful way! Love it! I'm glad I stopped by your blog today :)

Several years ago I worked for a printing shop and one of the buildings had a mural that covered the entire back. I wonder if I ever took a picture? I'll have to look, and if I didn't now I'm going to have to take one next time I'm in that area.

Wow, what a massive mural. I love how they included so many important people and pieces of history in the painting. Love that Rob Zombie is in it :)My favorite part is that it is on ESSEX street! (my hometown!)